How to Avoid Common Pitfalls in On-Campus Employee Recruiting

University campuses can be rich opportunities to engage with potential entry-level employees. You should consider the following points in preparing for any campus recruiting activities:

Hit your message points. Make sure that you (and other company representatives you bring with you) are well prepped to cover the key benefits of working at your company. What does your firm provide in terms of a career? What training opportunities do you offer?

Make sure that you know your job openings. A sure way to annoy students you’re trying to impress is to come unprepared to discuss the jobs you currently have open.

Be prepared to be asked about your policies. Don’t be surprised if you’re closely queried on policies, including diversity, domestic partner benefits, green practices, or any number of social issues. You may want to spend a little time with your corporate communications department clarifying the best way to answer these questions.

Get a good night’s sleep. Placement offices tend to stack interviews, often every 30 minutes. You may wind up interviewing 16 students in a single day. That’s why students often complain that interviewers frequently seem like they’re just going through the motions. (Note: Savvy students are aware of this problem and vie for appointments in the morning.)

Keep your energy up. Burning out after a day of interviews is all too easy to do. After all, you have to repeat the same information over and over, and you have to be just as enthusiastic at 4:30 p.m. as you were at 9:00 a.m.